Portable bracket or scaffolding.



PATENTBD AUG.21, i906.

B. G. ALBERTY. PORTABLE BRACKET 0R SGAPFOLDING.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. 23', 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

HOiHtOt $3 flflAMerdF, L y H I 61mm,

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B. 0. ALBERTY. PORTABLE BRACKET 0R SGAPFOLDING.

APPLIGATIDN FILED SEPT-23. 1905.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2 BCAM62HWM W UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PORTABLE BRACKET OR SCAFFOLDING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 21, 1906.

Application filed September 23,1906. Serial No. 279,797-

.To all whmn it THU/y concern.-

Be it known that I, BERTIE C. ALBERTY, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Stafford Springs, in the county of Tolland and State of Connecticut, have invented new and useful Improvements in Portable Brackets or Scaffolding, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a portable bracket, sta ing, or scaffolding convertible for use on ga )le-roofs for building chimneys, shingling, or for plastering, paper-hangin roof or wall construction, &c., which is adjustable for use u on roofs of different inclinations and gab es of different angles and to accommodate Walls and ceilings of differ ent heights, which is useful as a support in performing various other kinds of work, and is adapted to be folded in close compass for storage or transportation.

The object of the invention is to provide a device of this character which is simple of construction, durable and eflicient in use, and comparatively inexpensive of production, which ma r be conveniently adjusted into a variety 0 forms to adapt it for use as a support for various kinds of work for which prior devices of its kind are not adapted, and

which can be used as a wall-bracket without perforating or otherwise injuring the wall.

In the drawings hereto annexed and forming a part of this s ecification, Figure 1 is a perspective view s owing the invention as used upon the apex of a roof to form a staging for building a chimney. Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the device as used upon the side of a roof for painting, shingling, or otherwise working upon the same. Fig. 3 is a side view of the device as adjusted for use as a horse for supporting boards or scaffoldin for inside work. Fig. 4 is a similar view 0 the device as adjusted for use as a wallbracket. Fig. 5 IS a top plan view of the same. Fig. 6 is a plan view of the device folded for storage or transportation.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 1 represents a bar or beam of wood or metal or a composite structure, said bar having a central transverse opening for the passage of a pivotbolt 2. Pivotally mounted upon the ends of this bolt at opposite sides of the bar are legs 3 and 4, arranged in pairs in parallel relation. The outer or free ends of the legs are apertured for the passage of pivot-bolts 5, and pivoted at one end upon these bolts are pairs of bracing-arms 6 and 7, the arms 6 being connected to the free ends of the legs 3 and the arms 7 to the free ends of the legs 4. The legs of each pair are spaced apart a greater distance than the width of the bar 1 and are of a length greater than the distance between the central pivot-bolt 2 and the ends of the bar, so that said le s, together with the arms 6 and 7, pivoted thereto, may be swung in a direction transversely of the bar to project beyond either face thereof without interference between the ends of the bar and the )ivot-bolts 5. The bar 1 is provided at eac end with a series of transverse openings 8, and each pair of bracing-arms is provided with registering transverse openings 9. A pivot-bolt 10 is adapted to be asscd throu h any of the openings 8 and 9 1n the bar an legs to connect the upper ends of the pair of legs to the ends of the bar.

The openings 8 permit the pairs of legs 6 and 7 to be adjusted longitudinally of the bar or connected thereto at different points from the ends thereof, so that the sets of legs 3 and 4 may be adjusted toward and from each other to regulate their angular relation and the distance of their free ends from the bar, while the openings 9 permit of the adjustable connection of the free ends with the ends of the bar in such manner as to regulate the effective length of the arms or their extent of projection beyond either face of the bar. The arrangement of the two sets of openings 8 and 9 in the bar and arm is also such that a combination of these ad justments may be obtained. The bar 1 is provided near each end with an opening 11, extending through the faces thereof and ar ranged at right angles to the series of openings 8, said opening 11 being adapted for the reception of a hooked supporting-bolt 12, carrying a clamping wing-nut 13, the two hooks 12 adapting the device to engage and to be supported from the beams or rafters of a roof, the clapboards of the sides of a building, or other projections from a building without the nccessitv of boring or otherwise perforating the building structure for the reception of fastenings to connect the device thereto.

It is referred in practice to construct the legs anr bracing-arms of angle-iron or other strong metal; but where metal plates are used the bracing-arms will be provided with stiff- IIO ening-flanges 14, extending from the pivoted ends thereof a suitable distance toward their free ends and connected at their outer extremitiesbyflangcd braces 15, the flanged portions of which bear against the inner sides of the arms and are bolted or riveted thereto. This construction stifl'ens and strengthens the arms to a material degree without interfering with their free adjustability.

Having thus described the structural features, the mode of adjusting the parts of the device to adapt it to serve as a support for different varieties of work will now be set forth.

Fig. 1 shows the invention as adapted for use to form a platform or staging at the apex of a roof to support bricklayers or masons and the necessary materials in the construction of a chimney. A pair of the brackets or racks is used for this purpose, and in adjusting each rack therefor the fasteningbolts 10 are removed and the legs and arms adjusted substantially to the position shown in Fig. 3, after which the racks are placed upon the ridge of the roof at opposite sides of the chimney, and the legs 3 and 4, being free, adjust themselves to the pitch of the roof. The free ends of the arms 6 and 7 are then fastened to the ends of the bar 1 by the fastening-bolts 10 and boards laid upon the bars of the racks on opposite sides of the chimney, as clearly illustrated. in Fig. 1. A platform will thus be formed which will be perfectly strong and rigid. and on which the bricklayers or masons can stand. with safety with materials necessary for the work.

In using the device in the construction of a platform for shingling or otherwise working upon the sides of roofs a pair of the racks is employed to support one or more boards and form a platform, as shown in F1 2 In forming this latform the bars 1 of the two racks are lai face downward on the side of the roof at the desired distance apart. The lower sets of legs 3 are adjusted to lie in a substantially horizontal position above the bars and their bracing-arms 6 fastened. to the bars to support them in such position, the legs 4 and their arms 7 being extended to lie in the same plane over the surface of the roof, one or more boards laid u Jon the le s 3, and the hooks 12 employed to asten the ars to the rafters or shingles of the roof.

When it is desired to form a platform or sta ing for either interior or exterior work suc as plastering, painting, paper-hanging, or inside construction of any kind-the legs and arms are adjusted, as shown in Fig. 3, with the lower ends of the legs resting upon the ground or the floor-surface and the bars 1 of the two racks arranged uppermost in horizontal position to serve as supports for the staging-boards. This construction will rovide a pair of horses on which the stagin boards may be laid and which may be adjusted to support the boards at any desired elevation to accommodate (li'll'erent heights of walls or ceilings by the adjustable connections between the ends of the bars and the sets of bracing-legs.

The device may also be used as a bracket to support a platform. upon the side wall of a house for painting, clapboarding, and other operations by adjusting the legs and arms in the manner shown in Fig. 4 and employii'ig two of the brackets so formed at the desired distance apart and using the hooks 12 to su )port the same from casings, corniees, and ot er projections from the wall, thus obviating the necessity of boring or piercing the wall for the passage of connections to con nect the brackets thereto. The platformboards are then laid upon the upper sets of horizontal arms, as will be readily understood.

In foldin the device for storage or transportation the fastening-bolts 10 are disconnected, the legs 3 and 4 extended outwardly in parallel relation to and on opposite sides of the bar, and the bracing-arms 6 and 7 swung inwardly and down upon and parallel with the beam and between the same and the legs, as clearly shown in Fig. 5, and then the bolts 10 are passed through openings 16 in the le s and the openings of the series 8 and 9 in t e bars and arms registering therewith to secure the parts in assembled position.

By arranging the legs and arms of the device in pairs it is apparent that increased stability and strength of structure are secured, and by mounting the legs and arms in such manner that they may be swung to project beyond either face of the bar 1 a reversible bracket is provided whereby either face of the bar 1 and either of the acting or su porting edges of the legs and arms may e rought into position for use. This enables the opposite-acting portions of the mem bers of the device to be alternately brought into position for use at desired intervals in order to prevent excessive wear from contin ued use of one set or acting sides and edges, so that the period of usefulness of the device may be materially prolonged.

The construction and mode of operation of my improved portable bracket-rack or scaffolding will be readily understood from the foregoing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, and it will be seen that it provides a device which embodies the features of advantage above enumerated and which may be manufactured and sold at a comparatively low cost.

Havin thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is A portable bracket or scaffolding comprising a bar having a central pivot-bolt extending transversely therethrough and provided at each of its ends with a series of transverse openings, pairs of legs pivotally mounted at one end upon the ends of the pivot-bolt and. connected by bolts at their outer ends, the legs of each pair being s aced a greater distance than the Width of t e bar and a greater length than the distance between the central pivot-bolt and ends of the bar so as to be swung from side to side thereof, sets of bracing-arrns pivoted at one end to the connecting-bolts at the outer ends of the legs and provided at their free ends with series of re openings, and fastening-bolts adapted to be passed through said openings and the openings in the ends of the bar to adjustably connect the arms thereto.

BERTIE O. ALBERTY. Witnesses:

JOHN A. PEAsE, BURT S. CHAFFEE. 

